


fighting for love (i'll always be there for you)

by Dusty_Skyes



Series: Land, Sea, and Sky [3]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: AU - Everybody Lives, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, M/M, Mild Angst, revali being thirsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 22:30:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10545420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dusty_Skyes/pseuds/Dusty_Skyes
Summary: It begins when Revali stays up all night working to create as many anti-lightning droughts as he can.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I know. I split "Twisted fantasies" in half because it was over 6,000 words. This is the first part. 
> 
> Title comes from the poem "Fighting For Love" by Aaron Morris (AarionLee).

     It begins when Revali stays up all night working to create as many anti-lightning droughts as he can. They're going hunting in the morning once more in an attempt to find the thing that keeps killing, and his shock arrows are the best weapon that he has against the creature. He'll never admit it, but the Rito cringes at the thought of accidentally electrocuting Mipha or Sidon, and so spends many hours of the night perfecting the potion that will protect them from his arrows. Each recipe can be more; more protection, longer protection, stronger protection.

     Admittedly, it's more of the fact that Mipha will beat him over the head with the butt of her trident _again_ , if he accidentally zaps Sidon than anything else, but Revali was already planning to increase his stores of the drought anyway so it's really no feather off _his_ back.

     He very pointedly does not think about the fact that the Zora prince would have his _own_ store of the anti-lightning potions already. His, naturally, are _better_ , and Sidon only deserves the best.

     When morning rolls around, he's officially been up all night, and Revali is actually surprised to see the sun come up over the horizon. He pauses in stirring the final potion he's making, confused for no more than a few seconds—it can't _possibly_ be _that_ late, can it? Then the sun, because it really _is_ that level of late, actually comes up, spilling its rays across the water, and the Rito's breath is stolen away with how _beautiful_ it is. The water sparkles, fills with light like all the Zora have suddenly lit their bio-luminescence at once, and the city seems to glow with all the shades of red, yellow, and orange that can possibly exist.

     Revali only half-remembers pouring and bottling the final drought, gaze locked on the dazzling array of colors that reflect off of the Zora's Domain. He can suddenly see why there are crystals everywhere, as the gems sparkles and glitter with the light of the sun, stealing the breath out of his chest with their beauty. Idly dropping the last drought with the others, he steps out onto the balcony, tiredness completely forgotten as he stares, rather mesmerized, at the sight.

     Rito, though it's not very well known, _adore_ shiny objects and often have collections of the ones that they particularly covet. Revali has his own stash, small trinkets that he hides away in a pouch and still others that he laces onto the sash and braids into his feathers. He...he's actually somewhat upset that he can't steal this shiny object and Revali wonders why he's never seen this before. Oh, that's right, because he normally sleeps like everyone else and therefore hasn't just spent the entire night awake making anti-lightning potions just so he, Mipha, and Sidon can hunt some stupid fish-face creature.

     Let it be known that Revali is _not_ a morning person. He's not a night person, either, but rather considers himself to be some form of permanently exhausted bird that covers up his lack of sleep with a vicious tongue and cutting wit. Revali really should be going to bed.

     But movement from down below sparks in the corner of his sharp gaze and Revali turns his head to he can look. He's not sure what he's expecting, but Sidon isn't it. The Zora prince has his own trident in hand, a variation of Mipha's weapon resized to match his ridiculous height, and appears to be heading towards the training grounds in an attempt to get some last minute practice. It's just dark enough that the red Zora stumbles over a change in elevation and Revali can hear the faint curse from his place on the balcony. Amused, but not about to miss out on any more sleep than he already has, the Rito rolls his eyes and turns to go back in, and so nearly misses Sidon's own bio-luminescence flickering on.

     The colors attract his attention and Revali _stares_ ; he almost falls over the railing in an attempt to get a closer look. Faintly he remembers the blue-colored fringe that lines Sidon's shoulders, hips, and fins, along with the paler red dots across the top of his head-fin, and tries to not think of how _pretty_ they are when they glow. The Rito cringes and looks elsewhere, cringing once again when he realizes that he's watching the way Sidon's muscles ripple as the Zora stabs the training dummy in front of him.

     He'd love to have the other above him, pinning his smaller form to the—

     Shaking his head sharply, Revali derails that thought and moves on. Goddess, but he is gay for Sidon. At least he's realized it on his own this time; last time Urbosa had to inform him of his own level of gayness for Princess Zelda's Knight.

_Thirstythirstythisty_ , _UrbosaUrbosaUrbosa_ sing-songs in his direction, accompanied with an image of a Sidon decoration-less and sweaty from training, and he snarls mentally at her and shoves the thought of him throwing her off of a cliff right back. The corner where _DarukDarukDaruk_ resides won't stop radiating laughter at him and Revali will one day beat the Goron over the head with his own hammer and it will be _glorious_ . He doesn't question why they're also awake at this Goddess-awful hour—he most likely accidentally filled the connection with his own anxiety, therefore preventing their own sleep—just accepts it as a fact, and whirls around to go inside and attempt to get _some_ form of sleep. If he's going to spend the day waist-deep in water searching for some creature right beside Prince Sidon, then he wants to have at least a few hour's rest under his belt. If only so he can keep from drooling over the Zora.

     Down lower on the grounds below him, Sidon glances up at the window after a particularly impressive maneuver that shakes the dummy, nearly splitting it in half from the force, and frowns when he notes that Revali is no longer there. It's pity, really; he was enjoying showing off for the Rito. With a scowl, he goes back to stabbing the dummy, and the annoyance in his stance is clear to see.

     On another balcony Mipha stands, far too nervous to actually sleep, damn you, Revali, and slams her face into her hands with a groan. Not only had she seen Revali displaying his archery skills last evening, but now Sidon with his trident? Goddess, but it's _painful_ to watch those two idiots show off for each other.

     At least Revali seems to know how bad he has it, given the images Urbosa had shoved in his direction and the cursing-filled one he had thrown right back. Sometimes she wishes the Champions _didn't_ have the connection that linked them together. It was bad enough when the Rito was pining after the Knight. Now it's going to be _worse_.

     Either way, tomorrow was certainly going to be interesting. Hopefully Revali would be able to keep himself from drooling over her brother long enough to shoot the creature. She giggles when Revali curses her name as well and then turns to go back in and sleep.

(Once this whole thing blows over, she might have another sibling. Or two.)

**oOo**

     The creature—whatever it is, it isn't a Zora—not only learns quickly but also seems to have the incredibly annoying ability to adapt on the fly. It dodges backwards, avoiding Mipha's stab attack by the barest inch, and then lunges forward with its claws out in an attempt to rip open her throat as she pulls back her trident for another go. Normally she'd be worried, but Sidon steps in, his own weapon singing as it cuts through the air and covers her opening. The thing snarls, its form rippling like the very water it had jumped from, and dissolves into liquid just in time to avoid getting an arrow to the back.

     That would be a problem if it wasn't for that fact that Revali is using nothing but shock arrows, and the creature _screams_ in fury as the lightning crackles over its form. That really looks like it hurts, Mipha realizes with a wince, and promptly floods the connection with feelings of gratitude and thanks, along with the image of the droughts Revali had made the night before.

     Revali glances at her from where he's perched in a tree, another arrow already notched, and nods. _Welcomewelcomewelcome_ , he returns, far more focused on the thing they're trying to kill, and Mipha winces a little as the words echo in her skull. They used to be able to have entire conversations over the connection, but now it's been so long that long sentences have been reduced to single words, emotions, and mental pictures. Come to think of it, they haven't been able to form entire sentences since the Knight went missing.

     Another arrow slams into the creature, this time biting into the flesh of its ribs and sinking deep before it can abandon solid form, and the lightning _sears_ through it. It crumples to the ground and convulses, electricity crackling over its body, and Mipha knows that they should step forward and end it, but she's hesitating.

     It looks like a Zora, but one that has been corrupted. Now that its flesh is no longer rippling, she can see through its somewhat transparent skin to the orange taint of Calamity Ganon that runs thick through its veins. The orange glow strengthens and she leaps backwards, cursing loudly as it stumbles to her feet and swipes at her with long claws. Then the creature abandons the fight, vanishing into the water with an ungraceful splash. She can see it as it flees, sluggishly swimming deeper into the water. Sickly orange blood spills out of the wounds marking its flesh, tainting the water around it the nauseating color of a several days old, yellow-green bruise.

     Sidon curses faintly, somewhere between anger and horror.

     Revali doesn't look pleased with the creature getting away as he lands on the ground, but her feelings are spilling over into the link and he seems to understand them. For that, she is grateful. “Looks like that bastard's corruption has spread even further than we thought,” he comments, idly spinning a plain arrow between his fingers. It's one of several nervous ticks of his; the other most common one is the Rito fidgeting with the sparkly trinkets attached to his being. “It'll probably hide for a while; lick its wounds before coming back.”

     “I don't want to kill it,” Mipha finally admits.

     “It might have been one of us, once,” Sidon adds. He slides a finger along one of the blood-stained tips of his trident and cautiously sticks it into his mouth. His face immediately shifts into one of repugnance and he yanks the digit out with a curse and spits the liquid in his mouth out. "Definitely tainted." Revali tosses over a water-sack filled with the strongest alcohol he could get his wing-tips on and watches with vague glee as Sidon swigs some back and _immediately_ regrets that action, too. The Zora prince, apparently having some sort of alcoholic tolerance, manages to swallow the mouthful without spitting any of it out and gives the water-sack a mildly disgusted look. “What is _in_ here?” he splutters, looking very much like he wants to wipe his tongue clean. “Horse piss?”

     The vague sensation of an idea sparks on the connection and Mipha makes a choking noise and covers her mouth in an attempt to muffle her snickers at the Rito's suddenly offended expression. “That,” Revali hisses, “is _expensive_ , traditional Rito wine, and _I will not have you insult it_ ,” and he looks convincingly furious, but Mipha can feel his amusement through the link and it's taking everything she has to not laugh at the horrified expression her brother now wears, his gaze shifting from the water-sack to Revali's face and then back again.

     “Really?” he asks weakly. The sensations from the connection tell Mipha that Revali is torn between flattery and offense that _Sidon actually believed him_ and she _cracks_ , cackling loudly as she slumps against a tree and clutches at her belly. Sidon takes one look at her laughing form and catches on instantly. “You liar!” he exclaims, pointing a clawed finger in the Rito's direction. Revali covers his beak with his hand, the great wings muffling his laughter.

     “Of course that isn't our traditional wine,” Revali says through the feathers. “It's just grog. Our wine is better and our traditional wine even more so.” Even laughing, he still manages to sound offended.

     Mipha laughs so hard she has to be helped back to the palace because she can no longer walk in a straight line. Her brother assists her the whole way, his own form shaking with laughter, too.

(Privately, Sidon thinks the sound of Revali's laughter is the best sound ever.)

**oOo**

     Apparently, and Revali wishes Mipha had informed him of this, male Zora have a rut-cycle that can be triggered whenever they get particularly aroused. Especially if they haven't had a cycle in a while. It's not the rut-cycle that he's irritated with; no, that would be the fact that Sidon is avoiding him like he has some sort of horrible disease.

     In fact, the whole damn situation starts with the stupid training grounds. Revali's there like usual, notching arrow after arrow into targets scattered around the area almost absentmindedly while keeping an eye on Sidon's own training, when the other does a fancy maneuver that rips a deep gouge into the ground and slices the target in half.

     While attempting to keep his beak firmly shut, Revali whips a dozen wooden arrows out of his quiver and fires them in quick succession, the final one leaving his bow before the first arrow has even hit the target. Only seconds later there's a series of rapid thuds, each sound overlapping with the next, and then there are a dozen arrows buried in furthest target on the field, every successive one splitting the wood of the one that came before it perfectly in half.

     Sidon can feel his jaw hit the ground. That was an extremely impressive show of skill and he knows none of his archers could ever top that. “That was amazing!” he exclaims.

     Revali _preens_ , tilting his head upwards and flipping his braided feathers over a shoulder. “Yes, well, I _am_ , after all, the best archer of the Rito.” He radiates pride, both in his people and his skill. Sidon moves to stand by his side, eyes shining with excitement and respect for the other's sheer talent.

     “How long did it take for you to learn how to do that?” he breathes, beyond curious.

     The Rito shrugs, still preening. “Years. You start out with three and work your way up. The goal is to have all the arrows fired before the first one actually reaches the target.”

     Sidon shakes his head in disbelief, head-fin whipping from side to side. Revali follows it with his eyes, then catches himself and forcefully drags his gaze away. “I could never do that,” the Zora admits. “I just don't have the patience with a bow.”

     “You wield your spear excellently.”

     “I am curious, though. How do you fight close-range?”

     Revali smirks. “Why don't we spar and find out?” he asks as he exchanges his quiver of tipped arrows for ones ending with heads that look like rounded balls. They won't piece, just leave an incredibly nasty bruise when fired. He backs away and slips into position. Sidon blinks, thrown by the suggestion, then snatches up a nearby staff and redistributes his weight. At the unspoken word, he lunges forward, the butt of the staff swinging around for a nasty strike to the ribs.

     The Rito snatches an arrow from his quiver as he dodges, ducking underneath the blow, wraps his hand around the shaft like a dagger and buries the rounded head into Sidon's solar plexus. All breath escapes the Zora's chest with a whoosh and he wheezes out vicious curses in between trying to find his lungs again. “Come on,” Revali calls from the position he's danced to, the arrow he'd used as a dagger drawn back in his bow, “I thought we were supposed to be sparring.”

     Even with the ball-like head, taking that fired arrow will still leave a bruise. That much Sidon knows and he leaps out of the way of the shot, darting forward in an attempt to hit the Rito. But Revali is amazingly quick, even on the ground, and he moves away, snatching another arrow and fisting it like a dagger once more.

     Eventually, though he gets hit in the thigh twice by those damn arrows, Sidon manages to land a direct hit with the butt of his staff and Revali curses violently, feathers fluffing as he uses his wings to gain distance between them. The Rito has an impressive defense, especially for an archer, and the Zora is hard-pressed to actually land a hit. He can graze the other, sure, but an actual, direct hit? Yeah, no, that isn't happening.

     Then Sidon makes the mistake of blocking a fired arrow with the staff; the hit combined with the placement of his hands winds up with him accidentally snapping the wooden pole in half, and he snarls furiously, discards the pieces, and lunges at a wide-eyed Revali. Cursing violently, the Rito darts out of the way, firing another arrow as he goes. Knowing full well that he'll regret it later, Sidon smacks the thing away with the palm of his hand and winces, already feeling the flesh starting to swell and bruise. The squeak of surprise Revali makes is well worth the pain, though, and the Zora launches himself at the Rito while the other is distracted.

     They tumble across the field, a mess of tangled fins and feathers, squawks and hisses. When they finally roll to a halt, Sidon is on top, pinning Revali down to the field with his weight. Their chests are heaving, breath rushing in and out in heavy gusts, and bodies flushed. The Zora flashes a fang-filled smirk, catches the Rito's hands, and slams them down against the grass. “I win,” he rumbles.

     The red-colored feathers that normally reside underneath Revali's eyes have spread, running across his beak from one cheekbone to another. He hisses something, too low for the Zora to hear.

     Sidon leans down. “What was that?” he asks as he tries to ignore the heavy flush of his chest. Heat ripples through his veins, a searing burn that doesn't seem to go away. While he waits for the Rito's answer, he idly considers the warmth in his chest that he's experiencing. It's only when the urge to flip Revali over and have his way with the Rito right here on the field surfaces that Sidon realizes what's happening. Horror rears its ugly head.

     Revali sent him into rut.

     He freezes for a second, heartbeat loud in his ears, then leaps to his feet and hurls himself into the nearby river, bolting upriver before Revali can even get to his feet.

(Somewhere, deep down inside, Sidon isn't surprised that Revali sent him into rut. **)**


End file.
